Al-Qur'an Surah At-Tawbah Verse 31

Mufti Taqi Usmani

They have taken their rabbis and their monks as gods beside Allah, and also (they have taken) MasīH the son of Maryam (as god). And they were not commanded but to worship only One God. There is no god but He. Pure is He from what they associate with Him.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They have taken their rabbis and monks as well as the Messiah, son of Mary, as lords besides Allah,[[ When ’Adi ibn Ḥâtim, a companion of the Prophet (ﷺ), heard this verse, he said, “But the Jews and Christians do not worship their rabbis and monks!” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “Do the rabbis and monks not forbid the permissible and permit the forbidden, and they obey them?” ’Adi answered, “Yes, they do.” The Prophet (ﷺ) concluded, “This is how they worship them.” Collected by At-Tirmiⱬi.]] even though they were commanded to worship none but One God. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. Glorified is He above what they associate ˹with Him˺!

Ruwwad Translation Center

They have taken their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, as well as the Messiah, son of Mary, even though they were commanded to worship only One God; none has the right to be worshiped except Him, glorified is He far above what they associate with Him.

A. J. Arberry

They have taken their rabbis and their monks as lords apart from God, and the Messiah, Mary's son -- and they were commanded to serve but One God; there is no god but He; glory be to Him, above that they associate --

Abdul Haleem

They take their rabbis and their monks as lords, as well as Christ, the son of Mary. But they were commanded to serve only one God: there is no god but Him; He is far above whatever they set up as His partners!

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

They have taken their priests and their monks for their Lords besides God, and also the Masih son of Maryam; whereas they Were commanded not but to worship the One God: no god is there but he. Hallowed be He from that which they associate'.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One Allah; there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him; (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).

Abul Ala Maududi

They take their rabbis and their monks for their lords apart from Allah, and also the Messiah, son of Mary, whereas they were commanded to worship none but the One True God. There is no god but He. Exalted be He above those whom they associate with Him in His Divinity.

Ahmed Ali

They consider their rabbis and monks and the Christ, son of Mary, to be gods apart from God, even though they had been enjoined to worship only one God, for there is no god but He. Too holy is He for what they ascribe to Him!

Ahmed Raza Khan

They have taken their rabbis and their monks as Gods besides Allah and (also) Messiah the son of Maryam; and they were not commanded except to worship only One God – Allah; none is worthy of worship except Him; Purity is to Him from all that they ascribe as partners (to Him).

Ali Quli Qarai

They have taken their scribes and their monks as lords besides Allah, and also Christ, Mary’s son; though they were commanded to worship only the One God, there is no god except Him; He is far too immaculate to have any partners that they ascribe [to Him]!

Ali Ünal

The Jews take their rabbis (teachers of law), and the Christians take their monks, as well as the Messiah, son of Mary, for Lords besides God (by holding as lawful or unlawful what the teachers of law and monks decree to be lawful or unlawful, as against God’s decree), whereas they were commanded to worship none but the One God. There is no deity but He. All-Glorified He is in that He is absolutely above their association of partners with Him.

Amatul Rahman Omar

They have taken their learned men and their monks for lords apart from Allâh, and (similarly they have taken) the Messiah, son of Mary, whilst they were enjoined to worship none but One God. There is no other, cannot be and will never be One worthy of worship but He. Too glorified is He for what they associate (with Him).

English Literal

They took their religious scholars and their monks (as) lords from other than God and the Messiah, Mary`s Son, and they were not ordered/commanded except to worship one God, no God except He, His praise/glory from what they share/make partners (with God).

Faridul Haque

They have taken their rabbis and their monks as Gods besides Allah and (also) Messiah the son of Maryam; and they were not commanded except to worship only One God - Allah; none is worthy of worship except Him; Purity is to Him from all that they ascribe as partners (to Him).

Hamid S. Aziz

They take for lords rather than Allah their rabbis and their monks, and the Messiah the son of Mary; but they were bidden to worship only one Allah. There is no God but He. Be He glorified above all that they join with Him! (See Deuteronomy 5:7 and John6, 12)

Hilali & Khan

They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allah), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded [in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)) to worship none but One Ilah (God - Allah) La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him, (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The messiah is the son of Allah. These are the words of their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before. Allah’s curse be on them! How they are turned away!

Mohammad Habib Shakir

They have taken their doctors of law and their monks for lords besides Allah, and (also) the Messiah son of Marium and they were enjoined that they should serve one Allah only, there is no god but He; far from His glory be what they set up (with Him).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

They have taken as lords beside Allah their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah son of Mary, when they were bidden to worship only One Allah. There is no Allah save Him. Be He Glorified from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him)!

Muhammad Sarwar

They (unconditionally) obeyed the rabbis and the monks and worshipped the Messiah, son of Mary, as they should have obeyed God. They were commanded to worship no one besides God who is the only God and who is too exalted to be considered equal to any idols.

Qaribullah & Darwish

They take their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah, and the Messiah, son of Mary, though they were ordered to worship but one God, there is no god except He. Exalted is He above that they associate with Him!

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah, and (they also took as their Lord) the Messiah, son of Maryam, while they were commanded to worship none but One God, none has the right to be worshipped but He. Praise and hallowed be He above what they associate (with Him)."

Wahiduddin Khan

They have taken their learned men and their monks for their lords besides God. So have they taken the Messiah, son of Mary, although they were commanded to worship only the One God. There is no deity but He. He is far above whatever they set up as His partners!

Talal Itani

They have taken their rabbis and their priests as lords instead of God, as well as the Messiah son of Mary. Although they were commanded to worship none but The One God. There is no god except He. Glory be to Him; High above what they associate with Him.

Tafsir jalalayn

They have taken their rabbis, the scholars among the Jews, and their monks, the devout among the Christians, as lords beside God -- following them in making lawful what God has made unlawful and making unlawful what He has made lawful -- and the Messiah, son of Mary, when they were not commanded, in the Torah and the Gospel, except to worship One God; there is no god except Him; glory be to Him, as an affirmation of His transcendence [high], above what they associate [with Him].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

اتَّخَذُواْ أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ

They took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah, and the Messiah, son of Maryam.

Imam Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir At-Tabari recorded a Hadith via several chains of narration, from Adi bin Hatim, may Allah be pleased with him, who became Christian during the time of Jahiliyyah. When the call of the Messenger of Allah reached his area, Adi ran away to Ash-Sham, and his sister and several of his people were captured.

The Messenger of Allah freed his sister and gave her gifts. So she went to her brother and encouraged him to become Muslim and to go to the Messenger of Allah. Adi, who was one of the chiefs of his people (the tribe of Tai') and whose father, Hatim At-Ta'i, was known for his generosity, went to Al-Madinah. When the people announced his arrival, Adi went to the Messenger of Allah wearing a silver cross around his neck. The Messenger of Allah recited this Ayah;

اتَّخَذُواْ أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ

They took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah.

Adi commented, "I said, `They did not worship them."'

The Prophet said,

بَلَى إِنَّهُمْ حَرَّمُوا عَلَيْهِمُ الْحَلَلَ وَأَحَلُّوا لَهُمُ الْحَرَامَ فَاتَّبَعُوهُمْ فَذَلِكَ عِبَادَتُهُمْ إِيَّاهُم

Yes they did. They (rabbis and monks) prohibited the allowed for them (Christians and Jews) and allowed the prohibited, and they obeyed them. This is how they worshipped them.

The Messenger of Allah said to Adi,

يَا عَدِيُّ مَا تَقُولُ

O Adi what do you say?

أَيُفِرُّكَ أَنْ يُقَالَ اللهُ أَكْبَرَ


Did you run away (to Ash-Sham) so that 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is the Great) is not pronounced?

فَهَلْ تَعْلَمُ شَيْيًا أَكْبَرَ مِنَ الله


Do you know of anything greater than Allah?

مَا يُفِرُّك


What made you run away?

أَيُفِرُّكَ أَنْ يُقَالَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ




Did you run away so that `La ilaha illallah' is not pronounced?

فَهَلْ تَعْلَمُ مَنْ إِلهٌ إِلاَّ اللهُ



Do you know of any deity worthy of worship except Allah?

The Messenger invited Adi to embrace Islam, and he embraced Islam and pronounced the Testimony of Truth. The face of the Messenger of Allah beamed with pleasure and he said to Adi,

إِنَّ الْيَهُودَ مَغْضُوبٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَالنَّصَارَى ضَالُّون

Verily, the Jews have earned the anger (of Allah) and the Christians are misguided.

Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman, Abdullah bin Abbas and several others said about the explanation of,
اتَّخَذُواْ أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ
(They took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah...),

that the Christians and Jews obeyed their monks and rabbis in whatever they allowed or prohibited for them.

This is why Allah said,

وَمَا أُمِرُواْ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُواْ إِلَـهًا وَاحِدًا

while they were commanded to worship none but One God,

Who, whatever He renders prohibited is the prohibited, whatever He allowed is the allowed, whatever He legislates, is to be the law followed, and whatever He decides is to be adhered to;

لااَّ إِلَـهَ إِلااَّ هُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ



None has the right to be worshipped but He. Hallowed be He above what they associate (with Him).

Meaning, exalted, sanctified, hallowed above partners, equals, aids, rivals or children, there is no deity or Lord worthy of worship except Him